Faculty members of LU’s psychology department held a meeting on April 19 to discuss the issue of crime against women under the chairmanship of director general of police OP Singh.

UP DGP OP Singh interacting with professors of psychology department, University of Lucknow, at DGP head quarters on April 19, 2018.

The Uttar Pradesh police roped in psychology department of the Lucknow University (LU) to prepare a comprehensive strategy to tackle crime against women and how teachers can proceed with counselling of victims.

Besides LU, the UP police is seeking the assistance of experts from other state universities too.

Faculty members of LU’s psychology department held a meeting on April 19 to discuss the issue of crime against women under the chairmanship of director general of police OP Singh.

Head of LU’s psychology department Madhurima Pradhan, professor Pallavi Bhatnagar, and assistant professors Megha Singh and Archana Shukla were present in the meeting.

“Whenever we talk of women’s safety, there are four levels at which we can work – prevention, protection, early intervention and rebuilding the lives of victims/survivors,” Pradhan said.

“We will hold a meeting with all faculty members to discuss how we can proceed with the counselling of victims. We are happy that state police asked for our support to solve the problem that confronts the society,” she said, adding it was a welcome step as things would change if everyone joined hands to deal with problems facing the society.

Additional superintendent of police and state police spokesman Rahul Srivastava said: “The state police will sign an MoU with Lucknow University and other universities to provide counselling and assistance to victims as well as to devise outreach programmes across the state.”

He said at prevention level, school outreach programmes could be organised for gender sensitisation and respect for the self-esteem of opposite sex. “Community awareness and mobilisation programmes can be organised to utilise community resources to provide a safe environment for women,” said Srivastava.

A faculty member of the department Manini Srivastava said counselling sessions could be organised at rehabilitation level to help victims deal with the trauma.

“Counselling sessions can be organised for family members so that victims are handled sensitively. Relevant research projects can be designed by the department involving interagency cooperation to develop a better and safer world for women,” she added.

High points of the meeting

The collaboration is at inception stage. There is a need to be proactive in terms of some preventive intervention for crime against women and girls.

At macro level, awareness and sensitisation in the community, particularly of change agents like parents, teachers and media is required.

Counselling of girls who have gone through pain and trauma of sexual abuse is the need of the hour along with counselling of caregivers. Concerns will be more crystallised and concrete by the next meeting.